My love for bikinis started early. My love for knitting came later but, once the two passions collided, my life took a new direction.

The summer of 2005 I knit myself a gold lamé, barely-there string bikini that made me feel like a Bond girl. The construction needed improvement for me to feel confident in water, though, which prompted a string of what if’s ­— what if the knit fabric clung better to my body? What if quick-drying yarns were used instead of water-retaining ones? What if the hardware was as decorative as jewelry? What if it was machine-made instead of by hand? What if it was packaged in a smart, travel-friendly pouch? My pursuit to reinvent the knit bikini began and — thanks to modern technology, innovative materials and 3 rigorous years of research and development — I launched Elizabeth Kosich New York in 2008.

Mission accomplished — behold the classic gold lamé knit bikini, reinvented. 👙 #TBT